then did should not haue power and authority as The cause vvhy Protestans and Puritans deny the reall presence in the B. Sacrament agents and instruments of God to consecrate his true reall and substantiall body and bloud if it be not but because they want the Sacrament of order and know that these words Do this were not spoken vnto them And therefore knowing that they haue no authority or power to consecrat and yet resolue to be as they are not to fall into manifest idolatry and to teach the people to esteeme and adore a peece of bread for God of two euils haue chosen the lesser and therefore say that after consecration there is nothing but bread and wine our Sauiours words effect nothing the whole busines cōsisteth in taking bread and apprehending Christ in heauen by the hand of faith and be thankefull Otherwise if we should seeke to pry and dyue into by naturall reason how and when and after what manner God createth soules in the generation of men and infuseth them into their bodyes or of what substance they are of or how they being spirituall informe the body and make one man with the body what operations they haue where the will vnderstanding and memory are placed and how they are diuided seeing the soule hath no parts how the soule mooueth the body and preserueth it from corruption how it affordeth ability te see heare smell touch and tast in what gulf the memory putteth all these species of things which she reteyneth from whence they come when they are called for and where some lye hid which cannot be found when we would and how and where we find then we shall find no lesse difficulty in these things then in knowing how a body that already is may at the same tyme be in diuers places and vnder diuers dimensions and species by the will and power of God 10. And if none should beleeue that he had a soule vnlesse he did know certainly and manifestly all these howe 's then few would attaine vnto the beliefe that he had a soule thoug all men should study Aristotles book de anima or what soeuer books they could find to that purpose all their liues yet what is more familiar vnto a man thē his soule wherewith he liues and mooues whereby we see ho absurd a thing it is not to beleeue the misteries of our faith vnlesse we cann certainly and manifestly know by reason how euery thing in particular is for then it were not a mistery of faith but a thing manifest to our senses whereas faith Is an argument of things not appearing to the senses Heb. 11. Wherefore as in the creation of all As in the founding of his earthly Kingdome God spake and things vvere so done so in founding his spirituall Kingdome vvhich is his Church things and establishing his earthly Kingdome God spake the word and we beleeue that they were made of nothing by the omnipotency of his word though we know not how God made them or could make them of nothing more then by the omnipotency of his word so here establishing the B. Sacrament in his Church he took bread and blessed and said This is my body and likwise wine and said This is my bloud and we beleeue that the bread was changed into his body and the wine into his bloud by the omnipotency of his word though we know not how God could change bread into his body or vvine into his bloud and putt them into so little a roome and vnder the species of bread and vvine but by the omnipotency of his vvord And as after God had created the earth and mankind he said to the earth Let the earth shoote forth green hearbs and such as may seed c. and to man Increase and multiply and vve beleeue that both the earth and man by the omnipotency of his vvord receaued vertue and power to do that vvhich he said though we do not know vvhere this power lyeth or in vvhat part or hovv these things come to passe more then by the omnipotency of his vvord so after that God had instituted this Sacrament and consecrated his body and bloud he said to Bishopps and Priests rightly ordained Doe this and This doe ye and vve beleeue that Bishopps and Priests rightly ordained haue power to consecrate the body and bloud of our Lord though vve doe not knovv vvhere the power lyeth in Priests or hovv it cometh to passe more then by the omnipotency of the vvord of God 11. Besides that vvhich I haue said in the former Chapter S. Iohn Damascene in the 14. chapter of his 4. book Orthodoxaefidei explicateth this point at large saying Our Lord breaking the bread gaue it vnto his Disciples saying take eate this is my body c. S. Damascene of the manner hovv the body of our Lord cometh to be in the Eucharist If then the word of God be quickning and full of efficacy and all that our Lord hath willed he hath done if he hath said lett light be made and it was done if he haue said lett the firmament be made and it vas donn if by the word of God the heauens haue been established and all their vertues by the spirit of his mouth if the heauen and the earth and the water and the fier and all their ornaments and man himself who is so famous a liuing thing haue been perfected by the word of our Lord if God the word itselfe willing it was made man and was formed of the pure and immaculate bloud of the holy alwayes Virgin without seede and flesh vnited hypostatically with him could he not make the bread his body and the wine and water his bloud He said in the beginning lett the earth bring forth green hearbes and euen vntill this day by the fall of raine the earth doth bring forth her proper plantes aided and fortified by the commaundement of God And God hath said This is my body doe this in commemoration of me and this by the omnipotency of his commaund will be donn vntill he come Thus S. Damascenus of the change of the bread and vvine in the consecration of the blessed Sacrament by the omnipotency of God Eusebius Emissenus in his Sermon of the body of our Lord speaketh to the same effect saying When the creatures of bread and wine are placed vpon the Altar to be blessed before they are consecrated by the inuocation of the holy Ghost there is present the substance of bread and wine but after the words of Christ there is Christs body and bloud and what great matter is it if he who could create all things by his word could conuert and change these thinges which he had created into other natures 12. If our Aduersaries will grant as commonly The spirituall kingdome more excellent then the temporall and therefore more probable to be founded by the omnipotency of God they do that God by the omnipotency of his word established
vexation might cease and by the mercies of God it forth with ceased And in the 10. chapter of the same book he saith We Sacrifice and doe immolate Sacrifice to God only and the Sacrifice it selfe is the body of Christ In the 11. chapter of his first booke de origine animae he saith According to the Catholick faith and Ecclesiasticall rule it is by no meanes granted that the participation of the body and bloud of Christ should be offered for such as are not baptised Which he also repeateth againe in the 15. chapter of his 2. book 4. In his 1. Sermon vpon the 33. Psalme he saith The sacrifice of the body and bloud of our Lord This sacrifice spread ouer the vvhole earth which the faithfull who haue read the Scriptures doe know was not in the time of the old Law which sacrifice is spread ouer the whole globe of the earth And againe in his second Sermon vpon the same Psalme he saith Christ at his last Supper instituted a sacrifice of his body and bloud according to the order of Melchisedech Whervpon in his 86. Epistle he saith Christ gaue his bloud to drinke before his Passion And in the 20. chapter of his 12. booke against Faustus he saith In this Sacrament is drunck that which flowed out of the side of Christ And vpon the 56. Psalme he affirmeth that the Iewes who crucified Christ and afterwards were conuerted to beleeue in him in this Sacramēt drunck by grace the same bloud which through furie they had shed 5. And because the same body and bloud of One body and bloud in all sacrifices our Lord is offered to God in all Christian Sacrifices which was offered to God in the Sacrifice of the Crosse though after an other manner therefore S. Augustine in the 12. chapter of his 9. booke of Confessions calleth that which is offered to God in Sacrifice by Christians the Sacrifice of our Redemtion saying The Sacrifice of our Redemtion was offered for his Mother after her decease at her Funeralls And in the 13. chapter of the same book speaking of his said Mother S. Monica saith She desyred to be remembred at the Altar of God where at she vsed to assist without pretermission of This Sacrifice dispensed from the Altar any one day and from whence she knew that holy sacrifice to be dispensed whereby the hand writing was blotted out which carried our condemnation in it and whereby our Enemie had triumphed ouer vs. Thus the glorious S. Augustine and that according to the Scriptures as he further affirmeth in the 3. question of his 49. Epistle saying The sacrifice which we Christians doe now offer is not only demonstrated by the written word of the Ghospells but also by the Prophecies 6. Neither is this expression of the Sacrifice of the body and bloud our Lord found only in S. Augustine but also in the rest of the ancient Fathers who are commonly stiled Doctors of the Catholick Church as namely in S. Basil S. Chrisostome S. Ambrose S. Gregorie and S. Hierome for the Church being in peace in their times the first fower of these fiue that is to saie S. Basil S. Chrisostome S. Ambrose and S. Gregorie euery one of them sett forth books where in they expresse the forme and manner how to offer Sacrifice in the body and bloud of our Lord with great solemnitie Fouer Doctors sett forth Missalls and how to administer the Sacramēt in the same which books are extant in print vnder the Titles of The Liturgie of S. Basil The Liturgie of S. Chrisostome The Masse of S. Ambrose and the Booke of the Sacraments of the circle of the yeare sett forth by S. Gregorie the Pope Where of the first two are printed with their works the latter are printed by Pamelius in his two Tomes of the Missalls of the Latin Fathers which Liturgies or Missalls are in substance the same with those Liturgies and Missalls which are vsed at this daie in the Catholick Church for the offering of Sacrifice in the body and bloud of our Lord and also with the Liturgies and Missalls which were before their times as with the Liturgie of S. Peter S. Iames S. Andrew S. Marke S. Clement c. as may manifestly appeare vnto anie man who shall take the paines to vew them 7. Moreouer S. Ambrose in the 2. chapter of his 4. book of Sacraments setteth down the words which at this daie are vsed in the Catholick Church in the consecration of the Eucharist and offering Sacrifice in the body and bloud of our Lord saying Wilt thou know how the Eucharist is consecrated by diuine wordes He are the wordes The Priest saith make this oblation apply able vnto vs reasonable and acceptable which is downe vpon the figure Bread a figure of Christs body before consecration of the body and bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ. that is to saie vpon the bread not yet consecrated After it followeth Who the daie before he suffered tooke bread into his holy handes looked vp into heauen vnto thee ô holy Father Almighty eternall God giuing thankes blessed broake and broken gaue vnto his Apostles saying Take and eate of this all for this is my body which is giuen for you And in like manner he tooke the Chalice after he had supped that is the daie before he suffered looked vp into heauen vnto thee holy Father Almighty eternall God giuing thankes blessed deliuered to his Apostles saying Take ye and drinck ye all of it for this is my bloud consider euery thing he saith who the daie before he suffered he tooke bread into his holy handes therefore it is bread before it be consecrated but when Christs wordes doe approach it is the After consecration the Eucharist is the body of Christ. body of Christ Finally heare him saying take ye eate ye all of it This is my body And before the wordes of Christ it is a Chalice full of wine and water but assoone as the wordes of Christ haue done their worke there is made the bloud which redeemed the People therefore consider after how many sortes the word of Christ is powerfull to conuert all things And to conclude our Lord Iesus-Christ himselfe doth testify vnto vs that we receaue his body and bloud and ought we to doubt of his sinceritie and testimonie Thus S. Ambrose explicating the manner of the consecration of the body and bloud of our Lord in his time and the certaintie there of in the Eucharist before receauing which manner of consecration is also vsed in the Catholicke Church at this daie Againe in the 6. chapter of the same booke he sheweth that the intent of these wordes As often as you shall doe this so often you shall doe it in commemoration of me vntill I commeagaine were to command a Sacrifice in the commemoration of his Passion and for that cause he immediatly addeth to these wordes The Priest saith therefore mindfull of his glorious
belieue not that they may saue their soules 4. This obserued we doe not alwayes flie vnto miracles in euery particuler act or spirituall exercise The actes of Christian religiō novv not miraculous of our religion as when euery child is baptized or when euery Priest doth consecrate because God by the omnipotency of his will and woord hath established his spirituall Kingdome of his Christian Church after this manner so that now this supposed her ordinary actions and operations are not miraculous but according to the common and vsuall course of the acts and operations which God hath established in the spirituall Kingdome of his Church and according to that spirituall nature which God hath giuen vnto her at her first foundation So that whereas before Baptisme was instituted by our Lord if any one should haue pronounced the words of Baptisme and haue powred water vpon a man who neuer was baptized it would haue had no power or vertue to remit sinnes or to make him a child of the spirituall Kingdome of God and so the first institution was miraculous because the water and the words had not this power before but now since that God Almightie by the omnipotency of his power hath instituted Baptisme and established it in his Church and giuen vnto it this spirituall vertue and power to clense men of their sinnes make them Children of this spirituall Kingdome which is his Church and Heires which Christ of eternall life now this is no miracle but it is the spirituall nature and propertie of Baptisme which God who hath giuē the nature and properties vnto all things which they haue hath giuen also vnto it and therefore now this being supposed it is no miracle that when a man is baptized his sinnes are forgiuen but it should be a miracle that a man should now be baptized according to the rights of Baptisme and his sinnes should not be forgiuen because God hauing once giuen this spirituall vertue vnto Baptisme and hauing made it the nature propertie and qualitie of Baptisme cannot take it away without altering the course of the nature propertie and qualitie of Baptisme which is a miracle 5. Lykwise when our Lord instituted the B. Sacrament he took bread blessed gaue thanks and said This is my body and by vertue of his omnipotency consecrated it or made it his true reall and substantiall body and when he had donn said vnto Bishopps and Priests rightly ordeyned It is the propertie of Priests rightly ordeyned to consecrate the body and bloud of our Lord. Do this the same that he then did for a commemoration of me and by vertue of his omnipotency they do the same that he then did The first institution was supernaturall and miraculous but afterwards Bishopps and Priests did and do consecrate the same body and bloud which our Lord then did without any new miracle because he who created all things of nothing and hath giuen vnto euery thing that nature propertie and qualitie which it hath hath also giuen Bishopps and Priests rightly ordeyned this propertie and qualitie So now it is not a miracle that Priests do consecrat the true reall and substantiall body and bloud of our Lord but it should be a miracle if now that the Eucharist is established they do that which our Lord then commaunded them to doe and yet should not consecrat his true reall and substantiall body and bloud because that then our Lord should suspend or alter the properties and qualities which he hath giuen to Bishopps and Priests which would be a miracle 6. In like manner in other things In the beginning God created heauen and earth and the earth was void and vacant Gen. 1. 2. and neither brought forth hearbs nor trees nor grasse nor plants nor euer would haue donn if God had then lett it alone and neither haue said nor donn any more vnto it but afterwards God said Lett the earth In the beginning it vvas miraculous that the earth should bring forth hearbs plants and trees shoot forth green hearbs and such as may seed and fruit trees yeilding fruit after his kind such as may haue seed in it self vpon earth and it was so donn Gen. 1. 11. this was a supernaturall and miraculous work of God but euer since it hat been naturall vnto the earth to bring forth hearbes and fruit trees without any new miracle because God who is the giuer of all the properties and qualities which things haue gaue also vnto the earth this to bring Novv it is proper to the earth to bring forth hearbs and trees forth hearbes and fruit trees And it should be a miracle if the earth should not do it 7. And the like we may say of the hauing of Children and creation of soules God created man to his own image to the image of God he created him male and female he created them Gen. 1. 27. that is he created their soules for Adam he formed of the slyme of the earth and Eue of a rib taken out of Adams side Gen. 2. And vpon their first creation they had no children nor could haue or begett any vntill God said Increase and multiply and replenish the earth Gen. 1. 28. And this first was a miracle that God should giue that power vnto men and woemen to be his instruments of bringing forth soules into the world but now that the generatiō of men is established it is no miracle but agreeable to the vsuall course of nature that God in the generation of men doth creat soules but if nature concurring men and woemen should bring forth bodies without soules it would be a miracle because God should suspend or alter the course of nature which he hath established in the creation of soules in the generation of men 8. So as men and woemen God and nature concurring bring forth soules into the world vntil this daye and shall doe vntil the end by vertue of these words once spoken saying Increase and multiply Gen. 1. 28. So Bishopps and Priests rightly ordained in bread and wine fittly prepared haue hitherto and shal vntil the end of the world consecrate the true reall and substantiall body and bloud of the Sonne of God by vertue of these words once said Doe this the same that he then did in commemoration of me And in due consideration it seemeth as hard a thing that men and woemen should be God Almigties instruments to bring forth so many millions of soules into the world which before were not as for Bishopps and Priests to be his agents and instruments of making one body that was before to be in diuers places and vnder diuers demensions 9. If our Puritans beleeue that by vertue of these words Increase and multiply once spoken Almigtie God doth so concourr in the generation of men as that they haue soules I see noe difficultie why they should not beleeue that Bishopps and Priests rightly ordayned by vertue of these words once said Doe this the same which he